Queen Tigress & Narm's Boreas - thank you for your kind reviews - this one's for you! PLEASE REVIEW!
Disclaimer... nope, not mine
In the morning, Daine and Numair lay curled up together, in a nest of sheets, as close to each other as the dragon between them would allow. Kitten gurgled as Daine tickled her stomach, enjoying the attention. Numair, propped up on one elbow, watched the two, occasionally smoothing Daine's hair away from her face, thinking.
Daine looked up at her love, and saw the look in his eye. "What is it?"
Numair tugged his nose, and Daine readied herself for the flood of knowledge to come. "Nothing… Well, not nothing, definitely something. I love you Daine. I've never loved anyone as much as I love you… I've never felt anything like this before, never cared so much about anyone. It's just…" he searched for the right word, and found it when he looked in her eyes. "…incredible. I'm glad you found me that day in the marsh. I'm glad I met you. I have so many dreams for the two of us. Just you and me –" he was interrupted by a squawk, "– and Kitten, of course," he grinned. "Just us three. And any children who happen to come along as well," he said, looking deep into Daine's eyes. Daine shivered at what she saw in his eyes, heat flooding her. "I wanted to talk to you about that actually," he continued, looking away and down at Kitten. "That charm Alanna gave you, you know what that is?"
Daine blushed. "Yes, Numair. I'm not some young child, you know."
"I'm well aware of that, Daine. Funnily enough, I had noticed. Will you wear it? The charm, I mean," he added, fingering the chain on which was the badger's claw.
"Yes, Numair, I was intending to. As much as I love you, I'm not ready to bear your children yet. One day, but not quite yet. Besides, I still work for the Riders, I'm not sure they're ready for me to go just yet."
"Oh nonsense, Daine. Onau is more than capable of managing without you. Besides, are you going to leave me every summer, whilst you go off to choose horses? You're not going anywhere without me, young Magelet."
"No, you're right about that. Every time I leave you, you get yourself in some trouble or other. Besides," she added, as Kitten chuckled, "what would you do for amusement without me and Kit to entertain you?"
Kitten giggled as Numair sighed and rolled onto his back. "I don't know. I do everything for you two, and still you won't believe that I am perfectly capable of entertaining myself, without getting into any trouble whatsoever. The amount of trouble I've got the pair of you out of –"
"And the amount you've got us into!" Daine spluttered. "You know, Kit, he thinks he's some almighty mage, with his black robe an' all. Well, we'll set him straight, won't we? Magic or no."
With that, the dragon leapt on to the mage, closely followed by Daine. "See all the trouble you've just got yourself into. Did we not tell you so, Numair?"
"Yes!" he laughed. As the dragon and girl began to get off him, he pounced on Daine, grabbing her waist and swinging her underneath him. "I don't know. All this trouble you end up in, and only I can save you!" He began tickling her ribs, as Daine shrieked with the giggles. Kitten clambered on to Numair's back and promptly fell off with a screech as Numair's tickling got fiercer.
"Numair," Daine begged, gasping for air, "stop, please." Numair grinned, shaking his head, as Kitten trilled. "Please, Numair, Kit, hush, just hush."
"Why, what is it?" Numair relented, suddenly worried.
"I can hear something." Numair rolled off her, letting Daine stand up as Kitten squawked at him for nearly landing on her. Daine hushed her, straining to hear the noise. Changing her ears to those of bats, she opened the window that looked out onto the sea, still not hearing anything. Suddenly, Kitten began to scream, the noise tearing through Daine's delicate ears. Bending double with pain, she covered them, quickly changing back to her own ears.
"Kit, quiet!" she ordered, as Numair put his hand round the dragon's muzzle, although it did nothing to stop the noise coming from the young immortal.
Suddenly the dragon fell silent. Numair looked at the immortal, and then he heard it. A dull thump. He looked at Daine. "Is that what you –" he was interrupted as suddenly the ground started to tremble, then shake violently, throwing them both to the ground. "Daine, get dressed." He dragged her to her feet, as she looked at him. "Now!" he shouted. "We have to get outside." He began to pull on a pair of breeches as Daine did the same, still unsure of what was happening. Daine began to pack their saddlebags, but Numair grabbed her and pulled her out of the room. "But –" she started.
"We don't have time, just get out into the courtyard. NOW!" He snatched Kitten up with his free hand, and run as fast as he could. "You might want to tell the animals to get out of here Daine, this place could come down at any minute."
Daine had no need to tell the animals to get out; when they came out into the open air all of the courtyard animals were everywhere, voicing their fear. George ran up to them. "What's happening, Numair? Gods Daine, can you get them to shut up?" he said gesturing to the animals. Daine did so, placing her will on each of the animals, and telling them not to panic. She reached out to the animals of the nearby village, to find that they had no idea what the panic coming from the castle was about.
"Numair –" she began. Numair was locked in deep conversation with George. "Numair!"
"What?" His tone was sharp. "Daine, this is serious, I don't have time for one of your –"
Daine stared at him in shock. He'd never spoken to her like this before. "I was going to tell you that the village is unaffected by whatever this is, and the animals will do whatever you tell them to, but maybe –"
"Look Daine, this is important. You need to get out of here. I don't know what's happening, so you need to go. Take the children and ride to the Tower, as fast as you can. You need to get away."
He took her aside, out of George's earshot. "Listen Daine, I'm scared. I'm really scared, and the only way I'll feel remotely better is if you get away from here, away from the trouble. I need to get a message to the King, and then I have to work out how to stop this place from falling into the sea until we can get help."
"Numair, I'm not leaving you here," Daine was adamant. "What if I can help?"
"Mynoss, Daine! How can you possibly help?" he whispered, his voice cracking. "It's not like you can get some animals to hold up the cliffs, is it? No? Well then go. Get the children away from here. Get yourself away from here."
"Well, if it's wild magic then maybe I could help. But obviously, because I don't have some stupid Gift, I'm no use to you." She turned to the horses that had been readied and brought from the stable.
Numair grabbed her. "Look Daine. I'm sorry. I just… It'll just help me to know you're safe. I love you, but you have to go. Now." He kissed her lips roughly, then shoved her towards the horses.
She climbed quickly onto Cloud, as Aly was placed in front of her by George, who kissed his daughter, and wiped the tears from her eyes. "Don't worry, Aly, you'll be safe. Daine, get them out of here, please. Just make sure that they're safe." George's voice was calm, but Daine could see the fear, real fear, in his eyes.
"I promise you George, I'll do my best." Looking round, she saw Thom and Alan on Thom's horse, Moon, and Kitten in her saddlebag on Spots. She turned to Numair. "Numair, if Spots is coming with us, how're you going to get back?" Numair's face told her everything. "No, Numair, you have to come with us, you can't stay here. Numair!" A third quake threw the man to the ground, as masonry from the roof fell to shatter on the cobbles of the courtyard.
"Daine, just go!" With that, he ran back into the house, fire glittering around him.
George grabbed Daine's arm. "Please, Daine, just leave. You need to save my children! Please, Daine." A pleading look filled his eyes. "I'll look after him. Go!" With that, Cloud burst into a run, Moon and Spots following. Daine, tears streaming down her cheeks urged the horses on, not daring to look back. Her heart was screaming, and ordering her to turn round, go back for him, save him. Her head was numb, forcing her to go on, holding tight to Aly.
Daine couldn't be sure how long they had been riding when she pulled the horses to a halt, but all they could see of the Swoop was smoke billowing from its general direction. Numair's tower was looming in front of her. "Come on," she urged the horses, "we're nearly there."
When they rode into the grounds, and the horses came to a halt, Daine slid off the horse, numbly landing on the ground. Aly came down behind her, and Thom helped Alan dismount. All the children looked pale and scared, and Daine couldn't help but feel for them. But Numair. She might never see him again. Ever. He looked as if he expected to die, almost.
She began to unsaddle the horses, as the children helped wipe them down, and then found the oats. Cloud whinnied in concern. – He'll be alright, you know Daine. He can look after himself. –
Daine nodded numbly. She wasn't so sure. Numair had looked as if he never expected to see her again.
Cloud snorted impatiently, dragging Daine out of her thoughts. – You're supposed to be taking care of the foals, Daine, not scaring them more. If you're so worried about your Stork-man, go and look after him. We'll watch the children. – The other horses nodded their consent.
Just then, a new animal touched her senses, and she turned just in time to see Maude, the children's maid ride in to the courtyard. She looked breathless from her ride, but immediately the children ran to her. The old woman came down from her horse slowly, and Daine rushed to help her. Her Ma had always taught her to look after her elders.
Maude looked at her gratefully as Daine led her into the house. "Thank you for getting the children away so quickly. Their mother would've skinned me if anything happened to them. As it is, she'll probably skin me for leaving the Baron there. Says he can't look after himself. I don't know, that lass'll never learn." She looked up at Daine as she sat down on a stool in the kitchen. "It doesn't look good. Thanks," she added as Daine handed her a cup of water.
"Do you think they'll save the Swoop?" Daine asked, sitting opposite to the woman, as the children clung to Maude.
"I don't know," she said honestly. Shooing the children away, and closing the door behind them as they left the room, she turned to Daine. "They've called to the King for help, and Lady Alanna's on her way, but…"
"You don't know whether they'll be able to help much."
"Well, the Bloody Hawk tribe is a day's ride away, less if she rides hard. And the King. He won't be able to get to the tower in time. There's only so much he can do with that jewel of his if he can't see where he's to use it. Your man is doing his best, but…" Maude trailed off. Daine sent a prayer to the Goddess that Numair and George would be alright. To lose Numair when she'd barely even had him. That decided her. She stood up. "Maude, I have to go and see if I can help. Just to try."
"What good will you be able to do, lass?" Maude looked at her, concerned, but the girl could see hope in her eyes. "I'll send a prayer to the Goddess for you. Luck be with you."
Daine smiled gratefully at her. "I'll do my best." She hurried out into the hall, and began to run up the stairs. On the observation deck she found the children, anxiously trying to see anything they could of their home.
"Where are you going? Thom asked her. Aly and Alan looked at her, worried, as tears fell from the two children's eyes.
"I'm going back to the Swoop. There must be something I can do to help." She hugged each of the children and Kitten, telling them not to worry. Pulling a cloak out of her pocket, she placed it upon the wall surrounding the deck. Then, she dropped into the shape of a kestrel, for speed. Navigating her way out of her clothes and hoping onto the wall, she grasped the cloak in her talons, and took off for in the direction of the Swoop, using a kestrel's speed and the wind at her back to help carry her.